


In Space, No one knows you're an alien

by vandevere



Category: Firefly, Man of Steel (2013)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-17
Updated: 2015-02-19
Packaged: 2018-02-25 19:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2632880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vandevere/pseuds/vandevere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the wake of a tragic death among the Serenity Crew, Mal Reynolds hires a new merc.  But there are things about the newest crew member that he simply doesn't know.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_Out in the black, 2517_

“This here’s the Common Room,” Kaylee Frye was giving the new hire a tour of Serenity before showing him his new quarters.

Drew Todd took in the Common Room with the sofas, chairs, and tables, nodded seemingly to himself. Todd was tall, every bit as tall as Jayne Cobb had been; and  _that_ brought all the grief back in full force.

Jayne had died less than a month ago-deal with Patience gone bad,  _real_ bad-and the crew was still dealin’ with the fallout from that. But Mal had almost immediately gone out in search of another merc to take Jayne’s place; and here Drew Todd was.

Although practically the exact same height as Jayne, Todd was of a rather more slender build; lean rather than burly. Todd was also a man of few words, it seemed; not forthcoming about his origins, where he was born, that sort of thing.

“We all eat together, like family, too,” Kaylee continued. “We all take turns cooking, and doin’ chores too. You do any cookin’?”

“No,” Todd shook his head. “That’s not an area I have any…expertise in.”

“Okay,” Kaylee put that behind her. “Let’s get you down to your quarters.”

So, she led him down a series of short halls, and a ladder or two, and there they were. The room was plain, the bed a single. But Todd didn’t seem all that put out.

“You okay with this?” she looked up at him.

* * *

Dru Zod looked down at Kaylee Frye. There was  _so much_ that he was not okay with. But this room? He had no problem with that at all.

_What would Jor El think if he saw me now_?

Wherever Jor El was, he was likely too busy trying to build New Krypton, or-if his luck was bad, still trying to find an acceptable planet for his fleet of refugees; if the escaping fleet hadn’t met with some sort of unforeseen disaster…

_He certainly wouldn't have any time to look for me_ …

So, it was down to surviving around these people, keeping his not-human nature hidden, and making sure those infernal blue-gloved bastards never located him again.

_Maybe I killed enough of them last time to make the message clear_ …

So hiding was key. But it was also extremely difficult. If Captain Malcolm Reynolds learned “Drew Todd” could fly, shoot lasers out of his eyes, was so much stronger that anyone else in the ‘verse…

_It wouldn't be good_ …

Zod liked the Captain; up to a point, at least. On Krypton-that-was, Zod had both served under, and commanded men just like Reynolds; stern, prickly, but with a grave regard for the people who served under them.

It was the Second, however, who commanded Zod’s respect. Zoe Washburne reminded him of Faora Ul in so many ways; stern, pragmatic, capable, and utterly loyal to her Commanding Officer; and married to the pilot, Hobart Washburne…

“Wash”, as everyone called him, was unlike anyone Zod had ever known; with his zany sense of humor, and his…dinosaurs.

“Um…” Kaylee commanded his attention. “I’ll let you get settled in, Drew. We eat at 1800, so see you then?”

“Yes,” Zod nodded. “Thank you…Kaylee.”

When she was gone, Zod dropped his bag onto the bed, sat down with a sigh.

_If I had known what my fate would be, I might not have had the courage to help Jor El steal those ships_ …

But he had, and because of that, even though Krypton was destroyed, his people still lived; somewhere out in this galaxy, or maybe the next galaxy over.

But, barring a miracle, Zod would never find them, and they would never find him.

_So, this must be my home from henceforth_.

If only he could convince his soul to accept this part of the ‘verse as home…


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New passengers brighten everyone's day...
> 
> Or do they?

_Krypton, thirty-five years ago_

“You want to…what?” General Dru Zod had thought there was nothing that could shock him. He had apparently forgot to bring Jor El into his calculations.

“It’s not often that I get to see a stunned Dru Zod,” Jor El smirked.

“Oh, shut up…”

Zod looked back up at Jor El.

“You want me to steal long-range colony ships and help you steal the children at the Academy too?”

“I’ve told you Krypton’s core is collapsing; and the Council seems set on sitting back and letting it happen.”

“I was going to do something about that,” Zod grumped. “But you talked me out of it; remember?”

“Yes, Dru,” Jor El nodded. “But I needed you, and your contacts and resources for a better, higher purpose.”

“Stealing starships and kidnapping children.”

“Yes.”

“Sometimes, Jor, I think you’re going to be the death of me…”

* * *

_Out in the Black, 2517_

“Drew, baobei?” Zod stopped at Kaylee’s excited voice. “We got payin’ passengers! A Shepherd, and these two other guys…”

Zod nodded at that. He expected that Mal would have him play luggage carrier at some point during the day.

 _Unless they're traveling light_ …

“There you are!”

There, the captain was.

“Luggage?” Zod spoke dryly.

“Yeah,” Reynolds nodded. “Ain’t much though…”

But it would be one more time where Zod would have to remind himself not to show too much strength.

The Shepherd sort of reminded Zod of Jor El, in a way; although he looked nothing like Jor El, what with his dark skin, eyes, and silver hair pulled back into a tight little tail.

But the gentle good nature he saw in the man’s eyes were the same, and his easy manner with everyone around him.

The young man with the crate was about as far removed from that as possible; his manner as aloof and standoffish as possible; and the care he took with what looked to be a cryonic box…

But, as suspicious as that young man made him-he had to be hiding something fairly important in that box-it was Dobson that sent the alarm bells ringing in Zod’s head.

He couldn’t explain what, or even _why_ …

But Dobson really rubbed him the wrong way.

Still, Zod played the role of dumb porter to the best of his abilities, saw each of the three passengers to their rooms. Then, as per instructions, he joined Captain Reynolds and Zoe Washburne in the Cargo Hold.

“What’s your take on our new trio?” Reynolds asked him as soon as he arrived.

 _Our dear Captain is a suspicious sort_ …

Zod was sure Washburne had already given her assessment.

“The Shepherd is all right, I guess,” he said. “The other two…”

He sighed.

“The young man seems totally invested in that crate.”

There it was, not two feet away from them; and the young man-Simon Tam?-treated it like it was the most valuable thing in his entire universe.

 _If it's contraband, well_ … _it's not like Reynolds hasn't transported_ … _questionable things before_. _But he generally likes to know what he's transporting beforehand_.

“What about the other guy?”

“Dobson? He’s a fake, plain and simple.”

“After us?”

“Or this Tam fellow,” Zod shrugged. “We don’t know what Tam has in that crate…”

* * *

Less than twenty-four hours later, everyone had their answer. Dobson’s true identity was outed, Simon Tam’s intentions were outed, and the contents of that mysterious crate were…outed as well.

Everything changed after that…


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Serenity crew comes to grips with their new passengers, and Zod remembers the last time he saw Krypton.....

_Serenity, Out in the Black_

The Serenity crew was sitting around the kitchen table, trying to wrap their minds around what Simon Tam had told them.

_There was a school_. _A government-sponsored academy_. _We had never even heard of it, but it had the most exciting program_. _We could have sent her anywhere_ , _we had the money_ , _but she wanted to go_. _She wanted to learn_. _She was fourteen_ … _I got a few letters at first, and then I didn't hear for months_. _Finally I got a letter that made no sense_. _She talked about things that never happened_ , _jokes that, that we never_ … _It was a code_. _It just said_ …” _They're hurting us.  Get me out_ …

Right now, the doctor was busy tending to his patient…his sister. Everyone else was sitting at the kitchen table, looking at each other, waiting for the captain to say something.

Anything…

“You believe him, Zoe?”

“He could be lying, but there are ways of back-checking,” Reynolds’ Second spoke doubtfully.

“Yep,” Wash nodded. “If Dr. Tam really is one of  _those_ Tams, it would be as easy as getting on the Cortex.”

“Do it, Wash,” Reynolds said. “Don’t want anything biting us on the butt as we go on our merry. How about you, Todd? Any ideas on the subject?”

“Me? Ah…”Zod hesitated. “I would suggest…keeping both of the Tams under our watchful eyes, at least until…Wash…is finished with his...research.”

_What kind of Academy does **that** to its own students?_

Even the Council of Krypton wasn’t that venal.

_The poor child will need to be kept under watchful eyes, even if her brother is revealed to be telling the truth..._

Later that evening, as everyone not on duty was safely asleep, Dru Zod lay down on his bed, remembering when it had all gone to hell for him…

* * *

_Krypton, thirty-five years ago_

As part of his role in helping Jor El save what he could of his people, Dru Zod had located four long-range colony-size ships capable of using the Phantom Drive. He had even gotten the Academy Head to authorize the purchase of said ships; the pretext being that the Engineer Caste could hone their skills by retrofitting the ancient ships with the modern drive all ships used nowadays.

That part of the plan had gone without a hitch, and now the Academy had four long-range colony ships capable of true interstellar travel. Navigation had been updated with all the newest star maps. Jor El was elated, and even Jax Ur was beginning to show signs of cautious optimism.

Neither Jor El, nor Dru Zod liked him very much. Ur was an arrogant snot; but he was an  _honest_ arrogant snot, and Zod supposed that had to count for something. It was Jax Ur who had designed a way to get twelve thousand students aboard the colony ships without anyone being the wiser; an elaborate, and far more sophisticated version of a practical joke Jor El had done back when he was a child at the Academy.

Before anyone could say “Sul Van”, the children-all of them-along with various and assorted proctors and instructors, most of Zod’s team, and Jor El too, were all on the ships. That was, of course, when the Council, and their Pro-Council underlings, got wind of the proceedings, and put everything on Lockdown; which meant the codes to give pilots access to the Helm wouldn’t be given.

Dru Zod had still been planet-side, at the academy, when this particular cockup occurred…

“Dru!” Jor El had signaled. “They’re blocking the access codes.”

“I know,” Zod had already let himself into the nearest Command Post. No one else was there yet, and his code was still good; which meant the Council didn’t know he was on Jor’s side yet.

“Think I can do something about that, Jor. Hang on…” Zod locked the door, using every access code he had. It would take a while for the authorities to break in; and that would give the General time to over-ride the Block Protocols. Of course, there was a fly in the ointment; a rather big one as far as Zod was concerned.

He sighed.

“There’s a problem, Jor,” he Commed his friend. “I’m going to have to stay behind to do this right. If I leave the post, they’ll get in and take control of the ships and bring them back. Someone has to stay behind and keep them away until you can engage the Phantom Drives; and I’m already here, so it’s going to be me.”

“Dru, I’m coming…”

“No, Jor. Stay up there and make your escape. Save what remains of our race.”

“Dru…” there was anguish in Jor El’s voice.

“Save…our…race,” Zod repeated. “I trust you also managed to get the Codex too?”

“I did,” now it was Jor who sighed. “I’ll try to come back for you. I’ll…”

“Save our race, Jor. Whatever happens to me will be worth it if you can do that.”

Zod signed off, listening for the sound of forces at the sealed door. It was only the work of a moment to slave all inputs to his personal access code-Jor El had taught him that particular hack decades ago. Now, the Council’s forces would have to break into this particular Command Post if they wanted to retake control of the colony ships.

Zod knew he was signing his death warrant by doing this. But he had meant what he had said to Jor El.

_If, by dying I can save my people, then that is a good death_ …

Now, he could hear sounds behind the door.

_Explosives, maybe_?

Definitely explosives.

The shock wave hurled him into the nearest wall, knocking the breath out of his lungs. But his rapidly graying-out vision recorded the sight of four colony-sized long-range ships entering the Phantom Zone.

The Council’s forces had come too late after all; and Jor El was gone, along with all of Zod’s people, twelve thousand children, several Academy proctors and Instructors, and the Codex, containing the Registry of Citizens.

_We won_ …

Everything went dark after that. Dru Zod awakened some five hours later, already convicted of High Treason. He had assumed he would be executed for his role in helping Jor El.

But Lor Em had decreed otherwise.

Banishment to the Phantom Zone. Three hundred years of somatic reconditioning. Zod had shuddered upon hearing what his fate was to be.

_Whatever returns, after three hundred years, it won't be me_ …

But, still, if that was the case, then it would still be a form of death; a death of the soul if not the body.

_Please be successful in what you're trying to do, Jor.  I don't want to die at all.  But dying for nothing is worst of all_.

“Do you have any last words, Dru Zod?”

Zod shook his head at Lor Em’s question.

_Do they really expect me to plead for mercy?  No...It's best to get this over once and for all.._.

So he said nothing as guards took him to the spot.

The initial process was purest agony; like fire and ice rising up, paralyzing his limbs, swallowing him up in frigid blackness. 

That should have been the end of it.

It wasn’t.

His next memory was of the shocking sensation of the floor coming up to meet him, limbs all “pins and needles” as they twitched uncontrollably, breath rasping in his chest; gentle hands turning him over, grave eyes looking down at him.

The hands had been gloved in blue…


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gang goes to Higgins's Moon, and deals with the emotional aftermath of Jayne Cobb's death

“Todd!” Captain Reynolds’ voice rang out. “You ready?”

“Be out in a minute,” Dru Zod laid his weapons on the weapons rack in his bunk. The Captain had given firm orders no weapons were to be brought out planet-side.

Well…

Zod had two pistols hidden on his person, and he was fairly sure the Captain had one or two hidden away too.

_The trick is not to be obvious about it_ …

The Captain had lately contracted to transport some sort of contraband from Higgin’s Moon to Persephone. Everyone was out in the Common Area; except for Inara. She was already down on the moon.

A…client.

Zod was not entirely unacquainted with the concept of Companions. There had been a Caste for virtually every occupation on Krypton, and something very much like a Caste of Companions existed within the larger subset of Caregiver Castes.

But they had nowhere near the freedom these Companions had…

_Have good sex_!

Zod shook his head. Kaylee had to be the sunniest personality he had ever known.

Now, the rest of the group was getting ready to go out and retrieve the contraband that was stashed somewhere in Canton.

“Cap, can the Doc come along?” Kaylee asked Reynolds.

“Uh...I need to keep an eye on my sister,” Simon Tam protested.

River Tam was just wandering around aimlessly, hands brushing across table surfaces, or walls; almost as if she didn’t trust what her eyes recorded, had to verify their reality by touch.

“I can watch over her for you,” Shepherd Book walked up.

He’d said something about certainly being able to handle a flock of one. So Kaylee had looped her arm around Dr. Tam’s, and they were heading out, Reynolds in the lead, Zod bringing up the rear. Zoe Washburn was also staying behind, to keep an eye on the ship, and also to be ready in case things went bad.

Zod had been told about how the crew used to joke about the Captain’s bad luck. They didn’t make those jokes anymore; not since the deal with Patience.

It was bright outside; sunny and hot; and the locals were already hard at work, harvesting…mud.

Apparently, this mud was special. It went into everything, including the ceramics that comprised parts of the little Firefly that had been Zod’s home these past several months.

Tam was up front with the Captain, expression just a little sour; and both Wash and Kaylee were trying-with limited success-to hide their smiles.

“Dare I ask?” Zod stopped at Kaylee’s side.

“Cap just told the Doc why he wanted him to come along…” she giggled as she spoke.

_Something about Dr. Tam's hands being lily-white_ …

“He’s passing off Simon Tam as our employer?”

“Yep,” Kaylee nodded happily.

_Introducing the yound doctor to a life of crime, and petty crime at that_ …

Zod sighed.

_How did I get sucked into this_?

But the answer was obvious when he thought about it.

_Can't let those Blue-gloved bastards find me._

Unlike the rest of the ‘verse,  _they_ knew he wasn’t human; they knew at least part of what he could do.

But _officially_ , there was no such thing as extraterrestrials. Everyone was all descended from the people of Earth-that-was, and _aliens_ were fantasy, or conspiracy-nut fodder.

Of course, Zod knew better.

_There are things out there, in more distant parts of the galaxy, that would have the Blue Hands crying for their mothers_ …

Which was neither here nor there...

Right now, Zod was the only ET the Blue Gloves knew of, and if they managed to capture him…

Actually, there was very little they could do to bring a Kryptonian down.

But Zod didn’t want to have to go through all of the trouble of…disappearing, and finding another place to live.

In spite of the life of petty crime, the crew of Serenity suited Dru Zod just fine.

“Wuh de ma…” That was Captain Reynolds, standing in front of what looked to be a statue out in all of this mud.

“Captain?” Zod moved up to the rest of the small group. Reynolds looked absolutely stunned; along with Kaylee and Wash…

Zod brought his attention back to the statue. It was a man, just a little larger than life size; ruggedly good-looking, with a neatly trimmed goatee.

“I don’t fracking believe this!” Wash exclaimed. “He’s got a statue?”

“That he does,” Reynolds nodded. “I conjure there’s a story there. Wish he were alive to tell it…”

Reynolds must have seen the confusion Zod was feeling.

“Jayne Cobb,” he explained. “Our Merc before you.”

“Ah…yes,” Zod said. “He hail from here?”

“Actually, he came from Harvest, right Mal?” Wash spoke up. “His Ma lived there, with a disabled younger brother-Black Lung, I think it was.”

“Yeah…” Mal continued to stare at the statue, an indefinable sadness in his eyes. “He sent all of his money-apart from his whorin’ and drinkin’ money, and his cigar money…”

There was a capture of Jayne Cobb up on  _Serenity's_ Dining Room wall, so he could be with the family in spirit as they sat around the table.

_Wreathed in cigar smoke, whiskey bottle in hand, looking up with laughing blue eyes_ …

“Got business to attend to, people,” Reynolds brought his attention back to his crew. “The Foreman told us to make our way to the Mudders’ Bar. I conjure we’ll meet Kessler there.”

The Mudders’ Bar was a squalid little place with dirt floors, at least on the ground floor. There was a second story, and Zod-seeing young women eyeing the strangers speculatively, suspected they were of the Companion persuasion too. There was even music. A man wearing an odd-looking hat was quietly strumming away on an acoustic guitar.

The…swill…everyone drank here-Mudder’s Milk-had to be the most disgusting thing he had ever tasted.

Wash spat his sip out, cursing fluently in this Mandarin language. Zod could taste the protein, and the carbs in this stuff, along with the alcohol…

“Liquid bread,” Simon Tam spoke up suddenly. “This isn’t so different from what the ancient Egyptians from Earth-that was fed their slaves to build their pyramids. It kept them fed, and knocked them out at night so they wouldn’t be inclined to revolt.”

“Wow, Simon,” Kaylee grinned. “That was so…historical.”

That was when an official-looking man walked up to the table they were all sitting at.

“You wouldn’t be looking for Kessler?” the man asked.

“Just having a brew,” Reynolds looked relaxed.

“I knew a Kessler,” the man said.

“Knew?”

“He was a good middle man,” the man took a seat next to Reynolds. “Low profile, didn’t filch. Last week, the factory foreman and his prod crew heard he was moving contraband through town; gave him a peck of trouble for it.”

Reynolds looked back at the man, spoke evenly. “What kind of peck was that?”

“The kind where they hacked off his hands and feet with a machete,” the man spoke grimly. “Rolled him in the bog.”

“They peck pretty hard around here,” Wash commented to no one in particular.

“Listen,” Mal spoke to the man. “My client off-world is waiting for his delivery. If the goods are gone-“

“Not to worry,” the man spoke reassuringly. “Your man’s merchandise is here; safe in Kessler’s hiding place. We just got to figure out how to get it across town without being seen by the foreman, and his prods. I advise we all just…lay low for a moment.”

The man stood, nodded cordially, then walked away from the table. That was when the man playing the guitar suddenly began to sing.

_Jayne...the man they call Jayne..._

Again, Reynold’s jaw dropped, as he shared stunned looks with Kaylee and Wash. Zod and Simon Tam shared looks too, of confusion.

“Are they actually singing…songs about Jayne?” Wash finally found his voice.

“Must be,” Kaylee agreed. “Either that, or I’m hallucinatin’ things.”

And the song, about “The Hero of Canton, the Man They Call Jayne” went on, detailing how Jayne had apparently dumped a load of cash on the Mudders.

“You know…” Wash looked wistful. “We gotta go to the crappy little town where I’m the hero…”

“Cap’n?” Kaylee tilted her head; and no wonder…

Captain Reynolds had a speculative look in his eyes; and Dru Zod had come to learn what that meant.

“Think I have a way to get the contraband out under the foreman’s nose,” he said.

“And what is your idea?” Zod asked him.

“I knew the Hero of Canton, personally,” Reynolds’ eyes twinkled. “He worked for me, remember?”

“Yeah,” Kaylee pointed out. “But to the Mudders, he’s their hero, so shouldn’t it be the other way around?”

“Me, working for him?” Reynolds scowled. “Tales of legendry aside, the man was a thief, Kaylee. I conjure the only reason he dumped the cash was because he couldn’t escape with it.”

“We’re thieves too,” Kaylee’s eyes glistened, unshed tears. “And Jayne’s dead, Cap’n. You ain’t got anything to lose by saying you worked for him.”

Sudden silence. Reynolds reached out, took her hand.

“You’re right,” he sighed. “Just this once, I’ll…swallow my pride.”

  Jayne's death had hit them hard…

“Is there anything I can do?” Zod asked, more to break the silence than anything else.

“Not now, Todd,” Reynolds sighed again. “At least, we should all join in the singing. When they’re done, I’ll start telling them about how I knew Jayne, how we were all friends of his.”

“What if they ask you where he is now?” Wash asked. “Don’t think the Mudders will want to-“

“Let Jayne Cobb be their Robin Hood,” Simon Tam spoke up. “They don't need to know he’s dead.”

“Agreed,” Reynolds nodded; and-again-there was that sadness in his eyes. Zod knew the basis for that sadness.

_We give those under our command orders_ , _and sometimes those orders send men and women to their deaths_. _That is an unavoidable part of being a commander_ , **_any_** _kind of commander_ …

Zod liked the Captain all the more for seeing that in him…

* * *

Mal stood up, clapping time to the song, singing the lyrics as best he could.

_Hard to believe my old merc has turned into a legend_ …

_If I ever see Patience again_ …

At least, Jayne hadn’t suffered.

_Dead 'fore he hit the ground_. _But what's his Ma and little brother supposed to do now_? _Don't think her dead son being a legend is gonna make living any easier for them_ …

Nothing he could do about that, though…

_Focus on what needs doing now_.

He looked back at his crew. Kaylee, wiping the tears away as she sang, Wash clapping time, and Drew Todd…

Now,  _there_ was a mystery draped in human flesh. Todd gave nothing of his thoughts and feelings away; an intensely private man.

But Mal was beginning to see the core of honor that lay deep within him.

Still, Mal knew  _nothing_ of Todd, not his origins, or his ambitions. His manners, his behavior and accent suggested he came from the Core Worlds, the Alliance; and his bearing…

Mal knew a Military Man when he saw one. But, even if he had started out Core, Todd certainly wasn’t Core now. Everything Todd said and did suggested he  _despised_ the Alliance.

_Wonder what he's hiding from_ …

For now, though, Mal had other things to do instead of pondering Drew Todd’s origins. He walked up to the bar to get another Mudder’s Milk.

“I knew him,” he said to the bartender.

“Knew? Ya knew…Jayne?” Wide eyes stared back at Mal as he nodded.

“Worked with him for a spell” Mal spoke shyly, as if divulging a highly prized secret.

“Ya worked with him?” The trap was set, and Mal smiled as it closed.

“The Hero of Canton himself,” he nodded. “Jayne Cobb…”

* * *

After that, all it took was a few carefully spun tales, and a grand festival was suddenly being planned, with food, and booze; even the few, long-hoarded bottles of real whiskey and scotch-the  _good_ whiskey and scotch-were being brought out, in honor of the missing Hero of Canton.

The man who had told them of Kessler’s unfortunate…pecking…had come about, and Mal had quickly Commed Zoe. Let her know what was up.

The Festival was a rousing success on all fronts; the goods quickly smuggled into Serenity, and the Mudders themselves had a grand time…

The only out-of-tune thing that happened was when Zod intercepted this old guy.

Even for a Mudder, the old man was a wreck; hair and beard a wild mess, clothes shabby and smelly, and he reeked, like he hadn’t bathed in years.

“Where’s Jayne,” the old man had muttered, a not-quite-sane look in his eyes. “Got to pay him back for what he done ta me…”

“He dumped you too, along with the cash?”

“Who the hell are you, sonny?” the man turned to Zod. “And where the hell is Jayne?”

“If vengeance is what you seek, he’s beyond your reach,” Zod said. The man went still at that; a certain  _knowing_ in his eyes.

“Dead?” he whispered.

“Dead,” Zod nodded, and the man just seemed to…wilt…before his eyes.

“Ain’t fair…” he muttered. “All those years in the Box; never got to pay him back for betrayin’ me like that. What am I gonna do?”

“The…Box?”

“Just large enough to hold a man if ya fold him up tight. The magistrate let me out today so I could pay him back for what he done to me, and he ain’t even alive ta take revenge on!”

Zod came to a quick decision.

_The worst that can happen is that Reynolds could refuse_ …

“What’s your name?” he asked the man.

“Stitch,” the old man said. “Stitch Hessian.”

* * *

 _Serenity, out in the black_ …

For a miracle, everything had gone without a hitch. Mal’s client on Persephone had paid top dollar for the goods; and that meant Serenity could fuel her engines, Kaylee could get a few of those parts she had been nagging him about, parts that would keep Serenity flying, Doc Simon could get a few more medications, either pain-killers for when the crew got hurt, or pills for River, to keep her-mostly-lucid. There was also enough to fill the pantry, mostly with that awful Protein mush. But there were a few treats-real meat, veggies, and…fruit too; and, of course, there was the crew’s pay to dole out.

Drew Todd had spent some of his pay on the passenger he had talked Mal into letting aboard. Whatever Stitch Hessian’s reputation had been before running afoul of Magistrate Higgins, he was surely a broken man now. Todd had found clean clothing that fit Hessian, forced him to bathe, and given him a little extra coin before he left the ship. After that, whatever Hessian did was up to Hessian.

_That compassion for an old man down on his luck_ …

On the one hand, it heartened Mal to see that the strange man who was now his Merc had such compassion in him. But, on the other hand…

“”You know, Todd, Hessian’s probably gonna blow all that cash you gave him on getting good and drunk.”

“Probably,” Todd agreed. “But he’s free now. He can do as he wishes.”

Simon Tam was walking up to join the two men in the Cargo Bay.

“Hey, Doc” Mal waved him over. “You think Jayne’s gonna become one of those legends that last forever?”

“It’s possible,” Simon Tam shrugged. “I’m sure Robin Hood was originally just a petty thief of small means. But something happened, his name got attached to something, and the legend just exploded. There are still stories being written about him today. So, in a way, Jayne’s probably going to outlive us all.”


	5. Chapter 5: Alliance Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An Operative, a mad scientist, and a Senator discuss...business.

_Osiris_

The Operative had been called away from his task of finding River Tam and her brother Simon. This was a most unexpected development. It had, after all, been his understanding that Ms. Tam was in possession of highly-classified information that she had allegedly lifted directly from the brain of one of the senior-ranking members of the Alliance Senate.

_What could be more important than keeping the Senate's dark secrets from coming to light_?

He met with Senator Torres in the senator’s private office. With him was Dr. Mathias. The Operative frowned at the scientist’s presence.

“Ah,” Senator Torres said. “You’re here, and now we can begin the briefing.”

“Briefing…”

“Yes,” it was Dr. Mathias who responded to the Operative’s unspoken question. “We have something much bigger than River Tam to deal with right now.”

“Such as..?”

“We are not alone,” Mathias spoke solemnly.

“We are…what?”The Operative fervently wished Mathias would stop speaking in riddles.

“Our ever-so-slightly addled friend is correct,” Torres sat, indicated the others to take seats too. “We have…aliens in our midst. One that we know of, possibly others as well.”

“Aliens,” the Operative repeated the word thoughtfully. “Alien, as in…”

“Alien as in non-Terran ancestry,” Mathias said. “All of us, no matter our planet of origin, share a common genetic identity in that our ancestors all came from Earth.”

“Yes,” Torres nodded. “You and I, those from the Rim, and those from the Core, we all have this much, at least, in common.”

_Ah...now I see_ …

“You’ve discovered a sentient non-human species.”

Mathias shrugged.

“Non-Terran, yes; but non-human?  That might be debatable. Show him the recordings, Senator.”

“Yes,” Torres pressed a button. The lights went out, and a holo appeared over the Senator’s desk. It showed a man; tall, lean, with short-cropped dark hair and compelling dark blue eyes.

“We had sent some manned probes out to explore this sector of the galaxy.”

The Operative’s eyes widened.

“But that would take hundreds of years!”

“Or a functional hyper drive,” Torres eyes twinkled as he spoke.

“We have…”

“Yes,” Torres addressed the Operative. “We finally have true hyper-spatial travel. So we used it to explore our near neighbors; first with un-manned probes, then with crewed ships.”

“And you found a civilization,” the Operative nodded. “I’m impressed.”

“Actually,” Mathias raised a hand. “We didn’t. We found the wreckage of one though; the planet itself had apparently exploded. What we found was…a pod…of sorts. That man was inside it. At first, we thought he was a fellow explorer; I mean, he looks utterly human. But the language he spoke when we were able to fully revive him…”

He shook his head.

“It was totally unlike any of the languages in our files; and we have all the old Terran languages on file, including the ancient ones, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. This man spoke a language that none of our best linguists had ever heard. There were other things too…”

“Such as?” the Operative could hardly believe what he was hearing.

_A true, sentient, non-Terran species, and he looks exactly like us_?

He looked once more at the paused recording, at the man there.  There was that about him which suggested he would be a formidable personality.

“The speed with which the man learned our language,” Torres continued. “He learned it-grammar, syntax, everything-literally in two days. Our specialists think he may have access to a true Universal Translator. But if he does, our best scanners couldn’t find it. But that truly is the least of it, as you shall see…”

He pressed a button, and the recording started…

* * *

_Fice years previously, an undisclosed location_

“The subject is an adult Male, late thirties to early forties, in excellent health…”

Dr. Saul Lorenzo broke off his recording to look at the subject. The man worried him a little with his restless pacing.

_Like a caged tiger_ …

Still, the man was in the cell, with its electrified walls, and shock-fields…

Lorenzo shrugged and went on with his recording.

“However, in spite of the subject’s apparent leanness, and obvious physical fitness, he weighs almost six hundred pounds.”

That had been a shock to all of the faculty at this secret Blue Sun research center; so much so that Lorenzo had ordered all the scanners to be re-calibrated. Then he had the man weighed again. Still almost six hundred pounds…

On a whip lean frame.

Other scanners reported the man’s bones as being much denser than what one might expect of humans, and the same for muscle density. He had also initially had trouble adjusting to Earth-normal gravity, air, and pressure.  There had been at least one fainting spell.

_Or maybe it was vertigo_?

But he had quickly adapted to his new surroundings; and the ease with which he had learned the Terran language…

Was he using a translator?

There were other worries too; far more pressing ones.

_Does he realize he's a prisoner_?

The door behind Lorenzo opened; Admiral Cho walked in, the door sliding shut behind him.

“Has he spoken at all since the specialists left?”

“Not at all,” Lorenzo replied. “At least we know his name though.”

Getting his name had felt remarkably like pulling teeth without anesthesia.

_Suspicious personality, that one.._.

“So, what is it?” Cho demanded.

“Think its Dru Zod, sir.”

“Zod…”

“Yes sir.”

“Found in a pod, you say?”

“Yes,” Lorenzo nodded. “We think he was trying to escape the destruction of his world. He did confirm that this world-Krypton, he called it-was his home world. He said its core collapsed because the ruling council mined the core for energy.”

“Suppose we could learn from those mistakes,” the Admiral grunted.

“I suppose we could,” Lorenzo agreed. “But what do we do about him?”

All though this, Zod seemed to be looking up…

_As if he'w watching us, listening to us_ …

The Admiral frowned at that.

“I’ve received my orders,” he said. “Hope you’re not in the habit of getting attached to your subjects.”

“No,” Lorenzo assured him. “Of course not.”

“Good,” Cho replied. “I have orders to terminate the subject.”

Zod suddenly stopped pacing and stood still; looking up at the monitor.

_Did he...hear us?  No...not possible_ …

But everything in the prisoner’s body language, the sudden tension, the way he was looking about-searching for possible escape paths-told Lorenzo he had heard.

“Admiral Cho,” Lorenzo began. “We may have a-“

Abruptly, Zod spun, punched a wall with a fist, and the wall…shattered.

The shock-fields worked like they were supposed to, not that it mattered...

Zod calmly walked right through all of the force-fields; and it was like they meant nothing to him at all...

Alarms going off, sirens blaring, guards, armed with the best weaponry science had to offer, flooded the area, faceless in their armor; and they were like toddlers trying to swarm a giant…

Bullets meant nothing to Zod, bouncing off his body as if they were made of a particularly weak kind of rubber, and those who fired at him didn’t get a second chance. It was bloody carnage in there, bodies flying left and right.

Then, Zod was out of the cell area, out of the prison compound, and into the free air.

Zod leaped… That was it. He leaped, and…flew away.

He had killed over twenty guards; literally brought the compound down around everyone’s ears, and…flown away…

Saul Lorenzo looked up at the sky in awe.

_He flew...Ta Ma De...He_ **flew**

* * *

The Operative sat there silently, as the vid recording wound to an end.

_Hyper-strong, hyper-fast, immune to our weaponry, and able to fly_ …

“I hope you’ve been working on ways to contain him,” he said. “Finding him will be relatively easy, but bringing him down...”

He shook his head

“As you have seen,” Senator Torres replied. “Bullets, and even laser weaponry might not affect him. But our scientists have been working on weapons specifically designed for the Kryptonian neurological system. Something very much like an EMP, but designed for the Kryptonian brain.”

The Operative nodded.

“Good,” he said. “When I have the requisite weaponry, I will hunt him down. Now, the question is this. When I bring him down, what do you want me to do with him?”

“Kill him,” Mathias stood. “But preserve the body. I would very much like to harvest the body for its genetic wonders. Think of the things we could learn!”

“The things we could learn…” the Operative scoffed. “You show me a man who is more dangerous than a pod of Reavers, and all you can think of is genetic wonder!”

“But if we could design someone to fight Reavers, with those genes,” Mathias persisted. “If we could design such a hybrid-docile to us, of course-but capable of taking on, and killing, a pod of Reavers…think of the value of such a weapon! In…our…hands.”

“Agreed,” Senator Torres nodded. “Soon, we will have a weapon that can adequately deal with a Kryptonian. Then, once we have Zod, the rest shall fall into place.”

The Operative nodded. Very well. Finally, there would  be a weapon to use against the Reavers. Then, once those were gone…

In a way, the operative almost felt sorry for the Rim worlds…

_Once we have our perfect weapon, no one will be able to stand against the Alliance..._


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon takes River to Ariel, and Zod gets to be a Big Damn Hero...

Dru Zod stripped the old tee off, tossed it to one side.

 _I guess it was a good thing she decided to slash **me** with that knife instead of the others_…

The tee was ruined, slashed right across the front; but if it had been any of the others, Kaylee, Zoe, Inara Serra; there might very well have been hell to pay.

River Tam’s presence on Serenity was tolerated rather than accepted; only her brother’s medical skills had prevented the Captain from tossing both off the ship at the first opportunity; that, and the fact that Kaylee likely wouldn’t have forgiven Mal for doing such a thing…

Of course, being the victim of the knifing brought its own measure of complications…

Luckily, in the ensuing confusion, Zod had been able to find the kitchen knife, lying on the floor, snatch it, and straighten the bent blade out, without anyone noticing…

“Todd!” that was Captain Reynolds hammering on his bunk door. “You all right in there?”

Zod opened the door and Reynolds climbed down.

“Dr. Tam told me what our Little Witch tried to do to you,” he said. “You sure you’re okay?”

“You tell me,” Zod spoke dryly. He hadn’t pulled on a clean shirt yet, so anyone with eyes could see River Tam hadn’t succeeded with her attempt to hurt him.

Mal looked him over briefly, grunted in acknowledgement.

“Any idea why she decided to take a knife to you?”

 _You look better in red_ …

Zod had no idea what River had meant when she said that; only that she  _had_ said that, just before slashing at him with that big kitchen knife.

“How is she?” he asked.

Mal sighed.

“Doc’s got her doped to the gills in bed,” he said. “You sure you’re okay? Kaylee says she saw the knife strike…”

“Look at me Captain,” Zod picked up the clean tee. “You see anything?”

The impact had almost broken the knife, not Zod’s flesh. There wasn’t even a bruise. Not waiting for the Captain to speak, he pulled the tee on.

“The Doc wants to meet us in the kitchen," Reynolds said.  "If you’re well and all.”

"Lead on, Captain.”

* * *

Simon Tam was pacing restlessly in the kitchen. He hadn’t been there when River had…done what she did. Instead, he had been in Sickbay, looking over his inventory-bandages, pills, and everything else a Sickbay should have; most of which his Sickbay  _didn't_ have. Oh, there was some gauze, and a smattering of pills; most of which Simon had brought aboard with him; antipsychotics for River.

Money was tight on the ship, and Tam was beginning to realize it always would be. But he was now beginning to dread what would happen if he had to treat a serious injury; gunshot wounds, or…stabbings.

At least Drew Todd hadn’t been hurt. But that was more a miracle than anything else; and-unless he found a way to fix his sister, it would happen again.

So, Tam decided to get…creative.

 _If I am to live a life of crime, maybe I can turn it to my advantage, and my sister's too.._.

Everyone else was filing into the kitchen now, and Simon ran his eyes over Drew Todd professionally. The man looked fine. Kaylee had said she saw the knife strike into Todd’s right shoulder. But Todd didn’t seem to be showing any signs of pain; certainly nothing to indicate a stab wound requiring stitches.

 _Kaylee must have been mistaken in what she thought she saw_ …

“I must apologize,” he spoke stiffly to Todd. “River isn’t in her right mind…”

“She could have killed one of my people,” Captain Reynolds said, certainly looking none too pleased at the moment.

Simon sighed. In spite of everything he had tried, all the knowledge he had brought to bear…

“She’s getting worse,” he hated admitting that; especially to Captain Reynolds.

 _We're only here on his sufferance, and River stabbing Todd_ …

He didn’t want to think of what might happen if Mal tossed them off his ship.

“I would like to hire you,” this was a risky course to take with a man like Mal.

“Hire…us?” Reynolds raised an eyebrow.

“I still have some extra cash to pay you with,” Simon faced the Captain. “And, if all goes well, we might also be able to fully stock the Sickbay inventory. Right now, we’re shockingly low on things I would consider vital for any Sickbay.”

“Let me get this straight…” Mal took a seat. “You have a…job for us?”

“Yes. I hear Ms. Serra is going to Ariel for her yearly Guild-Mandated physical examination?”

Reynolds turned to the woman herself.

“That true?”

“Nothing escapes you,” Inara muttered darkly. Then, more loudly, she said. “Yes. In a week’s time.”

“Ariel City Hospital is one of the most advanced hospitals in the Core Worlds,” Simon explained. “I can show you where the medical supplies are, pills, bandages, gauze, that sort of thing. But, if I can get into the Diagnostic Ward, use the 3D Neuro-imager, I’ll be able to scan River, find out exactly what the Academy did to her.”

Reynolds chewed his lip, stood there deep in thought. Finally, he stirred.

“Zoe? Todd? What do you think?”

“We could use the supplies, sir,” Zoe spoke first. “It was pure luck Todd only lost his shirt. Could’ve been worse, and we really are low on medical supplies.”

“Todd?”

Todd shrugged. “As Zoe has said, we need the supplies,” he said. “And, if he can find out what they did to his sister, maybe he’ll be able to formulate a treatment for her.”

So, it was decided…

* * *

Much to Dru Zod’s bemusement, the plan had gone off without a hitch. Wash and Kaylee found an Ambulance Shuttle that Kaylee pronounced repairable, and some fake coffins to transport the Tams to the hospital in. Zod helped Zoe secure fake IDs, and uniforms, for everyone while Simon Tam prepared a list of pills to for Mal and Zoe to steal from the hospital’s medical stores. Some of those pills would restock the Sickbay’s dangerously depleted stores. But, if they could steal enough, there would be a considerable profit to be had by selling the extra to patients out on the Rim.

Then, they went out to…do the job…

Security personnel let them through with no questions asked. Now, it was time for the group to split up, Reynolds and Zoe off to do the stealing, using the coffins lately used by the Tams, to hide the stash, the Tams, with Zod guarding them, off to the Diagnostic Ward, and the 3D Neuro-imager.

Along the way, Zod saw Simon save a patient’s life, and give the attending physician the scolding of his life. Then, they were there, in the Diagnostic Ward; and Simon got to work, gravely ushering his sister through the process of being scanned. The girl was trembling, but she didn’t seem out of it right now. Certainly, she obeyed all of her brother’s instructions to the letter.

“Is there anything I need to do?” Zod asked the doctor.

“Actually, yes,” Simon turned to him. “I forgot to put something on the list I gave to Captain Reynolds. We need a functional Mender. The one on the ship is on the fritz. The Hospital won’t have those in the same place as the pills. I was able to check the Hospital menu a few minutes ago.”

Tam gave Zod precise instructions as to where the Mender was stored, which Zod committed to memory. Still, he hesitated.

“Will you be-“

“We’ll be safe here,” Simon waved him off. “And we’ll stay here until you get back.”

Zod nodded at that.

 _Guess I'll have to steal a backpack, or something along those lines_ …

Getting to the place was easy enough; and his ID worked just fine to get inside the storage room. Someone had left a shoulder bag just inside, and the Menders-two or three of them-were there, looking in mint condition.

He stuffed the best-looking one into the shoulder bag, slid out again, with no one seeming to pay him any attention. Then, it was back to the Diagnostic Ward.

Call it years of experience in the Kryptonian military, call it caution, but  _something_ made him approach slowly, with care. The Tams were not alone…

Zod’s X-Ray vision recorded the presence of several men-wearing the uniforms of what looked to be law enforcement-and another, a man around Simon Tam’s age, who had a somewhat apologetic look in his eyes. Zod’s hearing was almost as good as his sight…

“Reggie, you didn’t have to do this,” Simon was saying.

“Sorry, Simon,” the man was saying. “But I thought it was you, and you’re a wanted man. The bounty was too good…”

River was shivering, her hair a curtain covering her face, and she was babbling on about _hands of blue, two by two_ …

 _How do I get them out of this_?

The pair was already handcuffed, and being led away.

 _Probably to the nearest local holding facility_.

There wasn’t really any chance of getting the Tams out of this right now.

 _Maybe I'll be able to do something when they get to the jail..._.

It was a security substation, and fortunately, someone had left an outer window open on the fifth floor. It was a risky thing to do, but Zod allowed himself a little flight, to get up to that window. Once in, it was simply a matter of moving like he was supposed to be there, like he belonged there. No one questioned him on it; especially after the reaming he gave the lowly subaltern for leaving that “gorram window” open.

After that, judicious use of his X-Ray vision enabled him to locate the Tams, in a separate cell on the first floor. They had the cell entirely to themselves; and there were ducts and hatches all through the building; even ones that led to different floors. He would have to do an awful lot of crawling, but he would get there, and he  _would_ rescue the Tams.

Right now, Zod was in a hidden overhead passage, just above the main Federal Office, peering through a grate, when he saw two men who didn’t seem to be Feds.

Zod’s breath caught.

 _They're wearing blue gloves_ …

They were…killing the Federal Officers, each and every one of them.

 _Blessed Rao, they're using sonic weapons_ …

He knew exactly where the Tams were being held.

 _Got to get there before those blue gloves_ …

* * *

River was curled up into a fetal position, whimpering like a small child, Simon doing his best to comfort her. But, right now, he didn’t have any comfort to give.

 _Reginald DuMaurier...my best friend_ … _We got stinking drunk on Graduation Day, made utter fools of ourselves_ , _promised we would be friends for as long as we lived.._.

Reginald DuMaurier had betrayed him; condemned him to death, and his sister, River, to an eternity in hell from which there would never be an escape. For money…

Now, all Simon could do was stroke his sister’s hair and make soothing noises.

 _For what little time we have left together_ …

Abruptly, River jerked upright, tear-streaked face turned up, looking at the grate overhead. The grate was shifting, moving. Then it was gone, and Simon could hear it being settled to one side. He barely dared to hope…

Drew Todd poked his head out, staring at them, seemingly upside down.

“You need to get out of here now,” he said as he offered a hand to River. She took it, and now he was hauling her up, through the grate hole. Then, with her up with him, he offered his hand to Simon.

“There are men wearing blue gloves here,” he said. “They’re using sonic weapons to kill all of the Feds.”

Simon didn’t need any encouragement after that. He grabbed Todd’s hand, and Todd hauled him up too; every bit as easily as he had hauled River up.

 _His upper-body strength must be...incredible_.

“Follow River,” Todd spoke tersely as he settled the grate back into place. “She’s going in the right direction.”

“But-“

“I’ll tell her when to stop,” Todd reassured Simon. “For now, move!”

There were a few minutes of silent crawling, and then Todd told them to stop. He moved ahead-that took some awkward maneuvering on the Tams’ part to let Todd through. Then, Todd set to work on releasing this grate.

Once standing on the floor, he caught River as she dropped from the hatch, and Simon too.

“Drew,” Simon was feeling rather breathless. “I don’t know how to thank you-“

“We’re not out of danger yet,” Todd cautioned him; and-as if to lend emphasis to his words-the door at the end of the hall began to open. Todd quickly shoved both Tams behind him.

 _Surely, he's not going to fight whomever comes through that door_ …

Then, quite suddenly, Todd exhaled, a sigh of…relief?

The door opened…

Two forms stood, backlit against the brilliant daylight; one male, the other female.

“Captain Daddy,” River, too, sighed in relief, as she ran to meet them.

“What happened with you guys?” Reynolds demanded.

“We hit a bit of a bump,” Todd spoke dryly. “But we’re all here now, and I would strongly suggest getting the hell out of here.”

“I’ll explain everything on the ride back to your ship, Captain,” Simon was almost sagging in relief.

“Did you get what you came for?”

“Oh, yes, Captain,” Simon slipped the scans he had taken of River’s brain out from under his shirt.  "I found what I was looking for..."

* * *

Dru Zod, sitting at the kitchen table with all the others, listened incredulously as Dr. Tam gave his report on what he had discovered.

 _They stripped her amygdala?  Blessed Rao, why would anyone do that to a healthy brain?  No wonder the poor child is the way she is_ …

“Do you think you’ll have a chance of fixing that?” the Captain had asked.

“I don’t know,” Tam’s shoulders were slumped; he looked weary beyond belief.

“She feels…everything,” he explained. “She can’t not.”

But, as it turned out, Tam was beginning to formulate a treatment plan for his sister. Only time would tell if it would help any.

On the other hand, the… _thievery_ side of the job had gone way better than expected. Mal and Zoe had found pills, tons of pills, of every kind, and for every need. They had also found money there, cashy money, tons of untraceable money.

“For once,” Mal was grinning like a loon. “We’re actually coming out ahead. Way ahead.”

Just as well; Simon Tam was going to need a substantial amount of money to fund his treatment for his sister…

After the meeting, Zod fled to his room, feigning weariness, and a need for sleep. What he needed really, was just to be alone for a spell.

He rinsed his face with cold water from the sink by his bed, caught his reflection in the mirror. The years away from Krypton, the years of hiding, had changed his appearance.

 _What would Jor El think if he saw me now_?

His hair was longer now, no longer short-cropped as it had been when he was Krypton’s Military Commander. Now, it was a tousled mess, and the beard he had grown to disguise his features was heavily streaked with gray.

Every time he saw a red star out in the black, he was pierced by such home-sickness.

Krypton was gone, he reminded himself.

 _Rao only knows if Jor was able to find a home for our people_.

Lying down on the small bed in his bunk, though, he realized that he loved the people he now worked with; the prickly Captain, his stoic Second, her flighty husband, sweet Kaylee with a smile for everyone, Shepherd Book, always with good word of advice for anyone who came knocking at his door, the generous, and highly educated Companion, and the Tam siblings…

They were Dru Zod’s people now.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's somebody's Birthday! Sort of...

_Serenity, out in the Black_

In retrospect, he probably should have seen it coming…

Kaylee had kept on asking Dru Zod when his Birthday was; pretty much nagging him about it until he finally caved in and told her. Not that he told her his actual date of birth…

All told, the Serenity crew was a pretty accepting bunch, but asking them to accept the  _Third Trine of Rao Ascendant, 29,337 Post Reunification,_ as Zod’s Birthday-even though that really  _was_ his Birthday-would have been asking too much of a crew of Humans who didn’t know that they weren’t the only sapient species in the ‘verse.

Instead, Zod had picked a date-a Terran date, off the top of his head. Then, he had promptly forgotten all about it.

Kaylee hadn’t.

Which was how a bemused Zod found himself the target of a surprise birthday party.

Fortunately, Captain Reynold’s…business dealings…had gone better than the average, so there was money to spend on non-essentials; like Real Food for the Dinner part of the party, and the inevitable chocolate cake that Kaylee had insisted on baking.

As a rule, Terran social norms generally confused Zod; men and women marrying whomever they pleased, whenever they pleased, and having babies with whomever they pleased, with hardly any recourse to genetic assays. But this was  _their_ society.

Other facets of their society meshed well with Zod’s Kryptonian upbringing. Birthday celebrations were one example; although the Warrior Caste were generally known to be austere in their birthday celebrations.

 _This_ crew’s idea of a proper Birthday Celebration was anything but…

Summoned by Captain Reynolds, over the ship intercom, to report to the Dining Room/Council Room, Dru Zod had reported in immediately, as was his wont…

“Surprise!”

Fortunately, x-ray vision saved the day, so the crew was spared the sight of a Kryptonian startled right out of his skin; a hole in Serenity’s hull wouldn’t have been a pleasant experience for anyone on the ship.

Once Zod had accepted the idea, however strange it might have appeared, that the Serenity crew wanted to surprise him with this Birthday Party, he looked at them all, feeling just a touch rueful…

There was, of course, Kaylee’s wonderful chocolate cake; and there were presents too; a LeMat from the captain, along with a box of ammunition, a book of Terran philosophy from Inara Serra, a leather jacket from Zoe Washburn, an animated video of a…goose-juggler from her husband, a recording of collected music from the Rim Worlds from Kaylee. A brand-new Bible from Shepherd Book, a collection of Core World music from Simon Tam, and from his sister…

Zod’s knees went weak when he saw her present to him.

 _The Sigil of Hope_ …

* * *

Simon Tam had watched his sister as she worked on her present to Drew Todd, and her sheer artistic capability and creativity never failed to amaze him. Even now, after all that the Academy had done to her, to that incredible thing that was her brain, River Tam could still create beauty out of nothing more than colored paper, glue, and a little gilt wrapping.

It was an origami _S_ , comprised mainly of royal blues and shimmering reds, with gold and silver accents; and the sheer beauty of it reminded Simon of the Manuscripts from the Medieval Era of Earth-that-was, with their incredibly detailed capital letters, hand-written, and covered in the most delicate of artistic filigree...

Drew Todd, holding her gift in his hand... the color just…drained from his face as he looked down at it…

“Drew?” Simon had a sudden fear that Todd might faint…

_Or, burst into tears..?_

It was a good thing a chair was behind Todd. The man collapsed into it bonelessly, head still bowed, holding River’s gift to his chest, like it was the most precious thing in his universe.

“Drew?” again, Simon spoke to him. This was getting just a little alarming. A deep sigh trembled its way out of Todd.

“It’s all right,” Todd’s voice trembled as he lifted his head. His features were composed, but Simon could see the effort that went into it.

“I’m…fine,” Todd continued. He looked down at the beautiful S that lay, like a blue and red rose in his hand.

“Thank you, River,” he brought his gaze to Simon’s sister. “I will treasure this forever.”

And Simon knew Todd would treasure River’s gift. It meant something to him.

Something Important.

* * *

 _Three years ago, where Krypton used to be_ …

The fleet on New Krypton hung there in space, hovering over the slowly forming asteroid belt that was all that was left of Krypton. Prime Councilor Jor El stood on the Bridge of the New Hope, and he had to close his eyes.

 _I promised I would return and bring Dru home_ …

But, for thirty years, there hadn't been the time, or the resources, to do so.  Only now was New Krypton on sound enough footing for Jor El to keep his promise and return to the ruins of Old Krypton.  But he had come too late...

“Scan the area one more time,” he ordered, and he heard General Ul sigh…

“We’ve been here for a whole week, sir,” Faora said, looking at the view-screen, at the destroyed planet that used to be her home.

“We’ve discovered nothing,” she continued, grief in her eyes and voice. “No ship, no shuttle. Not even a Life-pod. Either he was killed in the destruction of Krypton, or Krypton’s destruction never released him from the Phantom Zone. Either way, General Dru Zod is beyond our reach.”

Jor El bowed his head, closed his burning eyes.

 _I should have come back sooner.  Forgive me, Dru_ …

* * *

_Serenity, out in the Black..._

After the party, the cake and everything, Dru Zod was able to flee back into the peace and quiet of his bunk. He hadn’t escaped without getting a hug and kiss from Kaylee. Even Zoe Washburne had given him a one-armed hug as she wished him a Happy Birthday. Now, feeling a touch breathless, he turned to the sanctuary that was his bunk.

These Humans were so free with their emotions!

 _Jor El would have loved to meet them_ …

Jor El…

Zod looked down at the hand-crafted Hope Sigil in his hand. He couldn’t put it down.

 _How could the child have known_?

She knew. That much was inescapable.

 _She knows what I am, where I came from_ …

The Sigil was proof of that.

 _Will she keep my secret?  Would any of the others believe her if she told them_? He sighed.

 _She won't say anything_ , he realized. _She made it to give me hope_.

Such was the gift from a loving soul… He sighed again, then carefully taped River Tam’s present to the wall by his bed. There, it would be the first thing he saw every morning, and the last thing he saw at night…

 _Hope_.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> River has a bad day, and the Serenity Gang steal a Lassiter...

River Tam was having one of her Bad Spells today. What that meant was that she was hiding somewhere in the Hold; which was full today, Serenity on the way to Harvest to deliver all sorts of supplies; tractors and plows, and hidden within those, some contraband on behalf of a rather unsavory fellow called Badger…

So there were plenty of nooks and crannies for a disturbed little girl to hide in. Simon Tam was, of course, completely frantic with worry, as was Reynolds; although he was worried more about her spoiling the contraband.

Not that Zod could see the point. It was just coffee. But it was  _real_ coffee; not the fake stuff that passed for coffee on most Rim Worlds, and worth its weight in gold hereabouts.

Fortunately, Zod’s x-ray vision quickly located the girl, hiding under one of the plows…

Quietly, he walked over to the plow.

“Come on out, child,” he said. “It’s just us here.”

“Too loud!” River complained. “It’s too loud, too bright, and too itchy!”

Zod sighed. Dr. Tam was right. She  _did_ feel everything. But now, Zod had an idea.

“I can help you,” he said. “I can teach you to master your senses.”

River peered out from under the plow, looking up at him with tear-stained eyes.

“Stem the flood?”

“Maybe,” he nodded. “But you have to concentrate.”

When Simon Tam found them, around five minutes later, he found River Tam sitting next to the plow she had been hiding under, sitting in lotus, her right hand held in front of her eyes, staring at her fingers, Drew Todd sitting nearby, watching her, talking to her quietly…

* * *

“It was the oddest thing,” Simon Tam said to Kaylee. “There Drew Todd was, sitting next to her, talking to her like he was her dojo instructor, telling her to focus on her hand, that it was the only thing in her universe; and it worked, Kaylee. River calmed right down, and I was able to take her back to Sickbay.”

A thought occurred to him.

“You don’t think he  _could_ be a dojo instructor?” Tam hesitated. “I mean…we know so little about him.”

“I dunno,” Kaylee shrugged. “Cap’n thinks Drew used to be Alliance military; high rank, like Admiral, or something. But Drew’s so strange sometimes; there are things about the Alliance, and about us, that he just don’t get. Like love, marriage, and baby carriages. He’s sweet, but there are times I could swear he weren't raised by normal folk.”

“Maybe he really is from the Core Worlds,” Tam spoke thoughtfully. “Our Family was of good standing. But we weren’t anything like The Five Families…”

The Five Founders of Osiris…

Fabulously wealthy, with members in the Alliance Senate; the Five virtually owned the Seat of Prime Minister. But The Five Families were also reclusive-barring those who entered public office-and some had quite the reputation for…oddness.

The name, _Todd_ , wasn’t one of the Five.

_Might be using an alias_. _Could he belong to one of the Five Families_? _And, if he is, what brought him out here_?

Serenity landed on Harvest around three days later, and dropped off all of her goods. For once, payment was received in full, both for the plows and tractors, and the contraband. Medical supplies were more than good, especially since Ariel, and no one had gotten hurt lately either. So Simon Tam was able to blow a little of his pay on a surprise for Kaylee; a small basket of fresh strawberries and real cream…

Then, Captain Reynolds dropped a surprise on the crew…

Simon Tam didn’t know the woman Reynolds had brought aboard, but Zoe Washburne did, if her sneer was anything to go by. Drew Todd’s distaste for the woman was also equally clear. As for the woman herself…

She called herself Saffron, and she apparently had a job for the Captain…

* * *

“What’s so special about this…Lassiter?” Drew Todd had asked.

“You’ve never heard of it?” Malcolm Reynolds was startled to hear this.

“No,” Todd shook his head. “Should I have?”

“It’s only one of the first true laser hand guns in history,” Wash nodded as he spoke. “It’s priceless, and I think we’re going to steal it; right Mal?”

“That’s what the…lady…is hiring us for,” Mal nodded too. He swung his gaze back to Todd.

_He couldn't be any kind of military and not know about the Lassiter.._.

Well, Drew Todd was a mystery, but it would keep until they had done the job…

Inara had also joined the group, and Mal felt a touch of glee.

_What Saffron don't know_ …

* * *

_Now I'm helping my Captain steal a historic weapon from its legitimate owner_ …

Dru Zod shook his head ruefully as he got ready for his role in all of this; helping Kaylee reprogram a trash receptacle…

He convinced Kaylee to stay inside the ship.

_You can stay inside the ship and relay the instructions on to me.  I'll do the actual reprogramming_. _No sense in both of us risking our necks_ …

And, with Kaylee inside, there was no one to witness Zod risking a little flight to put him in reach of the little trash collector. He followed Kaylee’s instructions to the letter, sending the flying trash can off to the desired location. Then, he went back inside.

“Good to fly a little bit,” River Tam was standing there when he walked down the hall by Sickbay. “Captain Daddy’s plan worked this time.”

“Yes,” Zod nodded. “How are you today, child? Are you practicing what I taught you?”

“Yes,” River nodded gravely. “The world is kind today.”

_A kind world_ , Zod thought as he walked down the hall. _That would be nice_ …

Even though the Lassiter Heist was a total success, it could truthfully be said that the world was  _not_ being kind to Captain Malcolm Reynolds.

_Naked..._ Dru Zod could hardly believe his eyes. _Saffron took his clothing..._

Reynolds seemed to be taking it all in stride, verbally sparring with Inara, who had been a special boon on this job, talking to Zoe Washburn, and ignoring her husband’s giggles. They had gotten the Lassiter, a priceless antique. There would be yet more money, a goodly bit of money, for Serenity, and her slightly unhinged crew…

* * *

River Tam sat quietly in the now-empty Cargo Hold, going through the Disciplines of Sul Van, as Drew Todd had taught them to her.

_Focus on what you need to see, and only that_ …

She loved her brother, Simon. He had given up everything, wealth, his place in society, to save her. But now, all he had to help her were medications. Pills that soothed her brain, but dulled her mind too.

What Todd had offered, however, was a way for her to control her own mind, her own senses. Even now, after only a few days of this, she could feel the good it was doing her; the control and focusing keeping her senses and mind clear.

In a way, it was sad, though…

_He gave me hope, but he has none for himself_ …


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mal needs rescuing. Again...

_What a time for the Reavers to attack_ , Captain Malcolm Reynolds thought to himself.

Of course, his luck had been better lately so that probably had something to do with it…

_Can't seem to catch a break, no matter what I do_ …

The last job, on Haven, had paid well enough. But no one had any idea the Reavers were beginning to range that far, and now Serenity’s crew was just…a little scattered.

Because Mal’s contact had paid up so promptly, Mal had sent Drew Todd and Zoe Washburne back to the ship, Zoe carrying the cash, with Todd her bodyguard. Which now left Mal in a bit of a bind, running for his life, hoping there were enough miles between him, and the horror that was occurring back at Deadwood…

* * *

Dru Zod heard about the Reavers when Zoe Washburne did. Reavers…

_What, in the Prime Ascendant would cause men and women to go feral like that_?

The tales he had heard about these Reavers were horrifying. Zoe’s first thought was of her Captain, still on the planet, in the main settlement, Deadwood. She was already loading the Mule and setting out, although Zod wasn’t sure she would be able to do much if Mal were truly in danger.

_I could save him_ …

But, if he did, his secret would be out, and Zod wasn’t sure he trusted Captain Reynold not to react badly to an alien being part of his crew…

“Mal’s bad in the Latin,” River’s voice almost made him jump out of his skin.

Feeling a touch rueful, he turned to face the girl. She still had her bad times, but even the worst spells weren’t quite as bad as they used to be, and the girl was learning to move silently; silently enough to sneak up on a Kryptonian…

“Mal’s bad in the Latin,” the eerie girl repeated. “But good in his heart. We should trust our Captain Daddy.”

Zod nodded at that. She was telling him…what?

That it was safe to rescue him?

Well…

_Yes_ …

Now Zod knew what to do. He nodded to her again, then went to join Zoe Washburne.

“You want me to wait?” Washburne was dubious.

“I can find the Captain easier on my own,” Zod explained.

“I’m going out to get the Captain!” Zoe snapped. “And I don’t want-“

“I know,” Zod interrupted. “I’m the best for this job.”

_I can fly_ …

“Believe me, Zoe,” he insisted. “I will find him. I will bring him back, safe. Give me fifteen minutes.”

“I’ll give you ten, Drew,” Zoe nodded. “Then, we’re coming out.”

_Better than what I was hoping for_ …

Zod turned and left Serenity. As soon as he was out of sight of the ship, he abandoned all pretense at humanity and hurled himself skyward. Mere minutes later, he located Mal, running like there was no tomorrow, a Reaver ship behind, and a cliff dead ahead.

Zod’s Kryptonian-sharp eyes clearly saw the look on Reynold’s face as he saw the cliff; the sense of weary resignation of his luck screwing him over; one more time, a final time…

And Zod just knew what the Captain was going to do.

_Well...It's cleaner than dying by Reaver_ …

Zod got ready to power-dive to the rescue…

* * *

Captain Mal Reynolds looked down from his position at the edge of the cliff, the rocky ground  _so far below,_ a little bit of doggerel playing through his mind.

_Oh, Mother dear, pray what is that which looks like strawberry jam?_

_Hush hush, my dear, 'tis your Papa, run over by a tram..._

There wouldn't be much left in the way of a body to bury. But no way in hell was he going to let Reavers get him…

“Sorry, Zoe…” he muttered softly. Then, closing his eyes, he stepped off the cliff edge...

Into nothing…

And was caught, by strong arms clutching him close.

_Reavers!_

He tried to struggle free.

“It’s all right, Captain,” Drew Todd’s voice was in his ear. “I’ve got you.”

“You’ve got me?” now Mal was completely disoriented. “Who’s got _you_?”

* * *

Zoe Washburne would never forget the sight; not for as long as she lived; Mal standing on the edge of the cliff, looking back briefly, the set of his shoulders telling her he was abandoning all hope. The Reavers must have been right there…

She saw it, the moment her Captain decided to die, to step off the cliff… And she couldn’t stop the frightful wail that erupted out of her.

_We're not gonna die_. _We can't die, Bendis_. _You know why_? _Because we are so very pretty_. _We are just too pretty for God to let us die_ …

Zoe stared up at her Captain, the man who had seen her safely through the War, and back to Serenity…

_No...Mal..._ …

_Please...no._

He stepped off the cliff…

And something swooped down, like a hawk on prey, snatching the Captain's tumbling body right out of mid-air…

Whatever it was, it righted itself in mid-flight, paused, floating briefly, then headed for Zoe’s Mule, and that was when she recognized the flying man, and her mare’s leg slid from suddenly nerveless fingers.

_Drew Todd..?_

He was flying over to her, the Captain’s body slung over one shoulder. He landed gently, set Mal firmly on his feet, and the Captain promptly slid to all fours, breathing in deep gasps of air. Zoe could hear the engine rumble of Serenity as the Firefly hove into view and settled down right behind the Mule. She came back to her senses.

“Everyone inside now!” she commanded. She turned to Todd.

“Carry him in if you have to,” she said. Todd nodded, and picked Mal up again, over a shoulder, as if he weighed less than a five pound bag of sugar…

Zoe turned the Mule around, drove it back into Serenity’s Main Hold.

“All aboard?” that was her husband.

“Yes, dear,” Zoe replied over the Comm. “Get us the hell out of here.”

* * *

Dru Zod was standing in the Dining Room/Council Room, just off the Kitchen. Everyone else was there too, Shepherd Book, Inara Serra, the Tams, Wash and Zoe, and the Captain; and Zod had to admit that the cat was well and truly out of the bag…

Captain Reynolds’ hands were only shaking a very little as he took a sip of the ersatz stuff that passed for coffee here.

“You’ve got some explaining to do,” was all he said; and Zod had to hand it to him. Only an hour or so before, Reynolds had been staring certain death in the face. Only to be rescued from said certain death by someone who was-by any definition-an alien of non-Terran ancestry; so…yes...

Dru Zod did have some explaining to do. But he had no idea what to say; except for this…

“You are not alone.”

“Besides,” River suddenly spoke. “We’re all aliens out in the Black.”

“Might be true, ‘Tross,” Reynolds sighed. Then he turned back to Zod. “What’s your story? How did you come here?”

Zod told him. Everything His origins, the loss of his home planet, the hope he had that Jor El had found a new home for Krypton. It took a while, and he found he was trembling, almost on the verge of tears when he finished.

“Catharsis…”River Tam had murmured.

Reynolds remained silent for a minute after Zod stopped talking; looking up at his face with a quiet intensity. Then the man sighed.

“Okay,” he sighed again, hauling himself to his feet. “We all got chores to see to out in the Black. Best be seeing to them.”

“Captain?” Zod cleared his throat as Reynolds turned back to him.

“Yes, Zod?”

“You just found out I’m an alien,” Zod looked down at the man. “Aren’t you going to do anything about that?”

“You’re crew,” Reynolds turned away, as if what he had just said explained everything.

Maybe it did…


End file.
